Washing
Wooden items should be washed by hand in warm soapy water. Avoid soaking. Never wash them in the dishwasher. If possible, wash them soon after use, so that food doesn’t have the chance to dry and stick to your spoon. After washing, allow them air dry.
Wooden items will pick up stains from foods and eventually darken the wood. It will eventually develop a lovely patina that adds to the character of the well used utensil. Note that wood can retain flavors from food or beverages.
Oiling
All my spoons are oiled with a food safe polymerizing oil (an oil that hardens) to create a durable finish on the product. I typically use tung oil, hempseed oil, raw linseed oil, or walnut oil. During the first few uses, you may still notice a flavor from the oiling process. This will go away as you begin to use and wash the spoon.
After many uses, you may notice that your spoon starts to look dry. At this point you may want to re-oil your spoon. Just wipe a thin coat of food-safe oil onto the spoon and allow to air-dry. It may take a week or so to dry, so a good time to oil may could be before you leave for a vacation.
Natural and Environmental Factors
As wood is a living material, it can change with environmental factors such as changes in humidity. Try to avoid quick changes between extremes as it can shorten the lifespan of the product. Do not pour boiling water in a wooden cup, kuksa, bowl, or ladle that has sat unused for several days. You should first fill the vessel with room temperature water and let it sit for a few minutes to let it prime.
New wooden cups and bowls tend to weep a small amount of moisture from the base of the vessel. This is caused because the end grain of the wood was originally designed to carry water from the base to the top of the tree. Over time, the end grain will be filled with particles that will stop the weeping. You can accelerate the process by putting finely ground coffee or tea and a small amount of hot water (not boiling) in the bottom of the cup and let it sit for several hours. Please note that this will add flavor to the cup.
